Science & Technology: Geothermal Powered Carbon Capture Explained

So, what if scientists could offset dangerous greenhouse gas levels by manually capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and then putting it to use in a cyclical, no-waste method?

One such project, run by a team of researchers in Iceland taking their cue from processes in nature, seeks to combine basalt and CO2. Basalt is naturally highly reactive with CO2; when the two meet, they undergo a series of exchanges that culminate with the carbon precipitating out as a solid whitish substance, similar to limestone.

"In our volcanic areas, we have volcanic CO2 interacting with our basalt, turning the CO2 into carbonate minerals. So then we thought why not test this interesting idea out here in Iceland. We have our geothermal power plant, providing a source of CO2 that then can be captured and injected back into the ground, and see if we can utilise and accelerate this natural process," says Edda Aradottir of Reykjavik Energy, home to carbon capture programme CarbFix.

"Once the CO2 is turned into stone, you don't have to worry about it, it's not going anywhere it's just buried in the ground as rock," she continues.